Asia-Pacific

Disease threat in Jakarta floods

Authorities fear outbreak of water-borne diseases could increase death toll.

06 Feb 2007 06:54 GMT

At least 29 people have died in the flooding, most through drowning or electrocution [EPA]

Medical teams have been sent out across the city, many travelling by raft, to treat people for diarrhoea, skin diseases, respiratory problems and symptoms of exposure after they had spent days in damp, dirty clothes.

An estimated 340,000 Indonesians havebeen displaced by the floods [Reuters]

"We have to be alert for diseases like typhoid, those transmitted by rats and respiratory infections. Hopefully, there will be no dysentery," Siti Fadilah Supari, the Indonesian health minister, said.

"We know it's hard for the residents [to keep clean] under the circumstances, but they have to."

Meyritha Maryanie, public relations manager for PAM Lyonnaise Jaya, the capital's water provider, said more than 80 per cent of the company's subscribers had no access to clean water as of Sunday.

"We don't know when we will be able to resume supplying clean water as we solely depend on nature. If the water recedes we can fix the facilities and resume operations," the Jakarta Post quoted her as saying.

"But we are prioritising hospitals - because this is a time of emergency - and also refugee shelters."

Jakarta

Estimated population of 12 million

Much of old city built on swamp land

Some areas below sea level

City criss-crossed by rivers and canals, many clogged with rubbish and sewage

The flood conditions are also ideal breeding grounds for diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, and the country's leading official on tackling the bird flu virus has said that the disease could also spread through contaminated water.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has killed more humans in Indonesia than anywhere else.

Although flooding in Jakarta is not unusual, residents say the floods are the worst in decades.

Environmentalists have blamed the flooding on storm drains and rivers clogged with rubbish, poor urban planning and the deforestation of hills to the south of the city which used to soak up much of the seasonal rainfall.